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| Mýrdalssandur | |
|---|---|
| Name | Mýrdalssandur |
| Country | Iceland |
| Constituency | South Constituency |
| Region | Suðurland |
| Municipality | [southeastern Iceland] |
| Coordinates | 63°N 18°W |
| Timezone | GMT |
Mýrdalssandur Mýrdalssandur is a large coastal sandur (outwash plain) on the southern coast of Iceland situated seaward of Mýrdalsjökull and adjacent to Vík í Mýrdal and Dyrhólaey. The plain links glacial systems with the North Atlantic Ocean and is shaped by interactions among Katla, Eyjafjallajökull, and recurring jökulhlaups, while bordering features such as Mýrdalsheiði, Lómagnúpur, and the Route 1. Its landscape, hydrology, and human use reflect a history of volcanic activity, glacial dynamics, and coastal processes important to Icelandic Meteorological Office, Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration, and local communities.
Mýrdalssandur lies between Mýrdalsjökull and the Atlantic Ocean north of Reynisfjara and west of Skógar. The plain includes braided channels of rivers such as the Múlakvísl and Kötlujökull outwash drains, with adjacent landmarks including Vikurbraut, Hjörleifshöfði, Dyrhólaey, and the Icelandic Southern Lowlands. Proximate settlements include Vík í Mýrdal, Kirkjubæjarklaustur, and links by Route 1 and local tracks connect to Landmannalaugar routes and Þórsmörk corridors.
The sandur formed from sediment delivered by episodic eruptions of Katla and contribution from Eyjafjallajökull ashfall, transported by meltwater streams originating beneath Mýrdalsjökull and deposited as loess, tephra, and glaciofluvial sand. Bedrock influences include exposures of Basalt, Pillow lava outcrops, and hyaloclastite ridges related to fissure systems such as the East Volcanic Zone and South Iceland Seismic Zone. Stratigraphy records tephra layers like the Vedde Ash and Landnám tephra visible alongside modern proglacial sediments and former deltas preserved near Lómagnúpur cliffs.
Katla beneath Mýrdalsjökull produces subglacial eruptions that trigger jökulhlaups affecting Mýrdalssandur, evidenced by historical events including 1918 and medieval eruption records cited in sagas associated with Skálholtsbók contexts and annals recorded by Icelandic historians. Interactions involve meltwater routing, subglacial hydrothermal alteration, and ash fall that modified drainage patterns toward Múlakvísl channels and redistributed tephra across the plain. Monitoring by the Icelandic Meteorological Office, seismic networks of the University of Iceland, and Institute of Earth Sciences tracks caldera unrest, rifting episodes, and coupling between the North Atlantic Current–influenced climate and glacial mass balance.
Vegetation on Mýrdalssandur is sparse due to frequent deposition and salt spray, with pioneering plants documented by Icelandic Institute of Natural History studies including heath and moss colonists near stabilized dunes and low-lying wetlands hosting peat-forming species recorded in surveys referencing Snæfellsnes comparators. Birdlife includes coastal and migratory species observed by BirdLife International partners and local ornithologists: Arctic tern, Common eider, Black-headed gull, and shorebirds that utilize intertidal zones adjacent to Reynisdrangar. Marine mammals such as Harbour porpoise and occasional Harbour seal haul-outs occur off the shore monitored by marine research programs at Icelandic Marine and Freshwater Research Institute.
Human interaction spans Norse settlement recorded around Landnám era and later agricultural use centered on outlying farms tied to Vík í Mýrdal parish and ecclesiastical ties to Skálholt. Land use includes seasonal sheep grazing, turf-built ruins excavated by National Museum of Iceland archaeologists, and twentieth-century infrastructure projects by the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration that sought to stabilize crossings across braided channels. Literary and oral traditions link the plain to sagas preserved in manuscripts such as Íslendingasögur, while twentieth-century evacuations during jökulhlaups involved coordination with municipal authorities of Mýrdalshreppur and civil protection agencies.
Mýrdalssandur is subject to jökulhlaups from subglacial eruptions at Katla, tephra fall from eruptions including those at Eyjafjallajökull (2010) and seismicity along the South Iceland Seismic Zone. Flood control measures, riverbed engineering, and early-warning systems are implemented by Icelandic Meteorological Office and Icelandic Civil Protection with interventions such as bridge design on Route 1 and movable defenses informed by modeling from the European Space Agency satellite observations and Icelandic Institute of Natural History hazard mapping. Historic jökulhlaups reshaped channels and destroyed infrastructure, prompting land-use zoning administered by Icelandic ministries.
Visitors access the plain via Route 1 and local tracks from Vík í Mýrdal with viewpoints at Dyrhólaey and guided glacier-related excursions organized by companies based in Vík. Attractions include nearby Reynisfjara black-sand beach, Skógafoss and Sólheimasandur aircraft wreck site, while visitor safety is coordinated through information by Icelandic Tourist Board and local search-and-rescue teams ICE-SAR. Seasonal constraints, weather advisories from Icelandic Meteorological Office, and restrictions near glacial outlets are important for planning by tour operators affiliated with Icelandic Travel Industry Association.
Category:Landforms of Iceland Category:Glacial landforms Category:Southern Region (Iceland)